Soil Ecology
Soil is alive
Soil is a living ecology called the Soil Food Web . To understand soil's amazing complexity, imagine an enormous city that houses many different inhabitants.
Plants and Roots
The plant roots and humus are structures that house many living inhabitants. At least half of every plant grows beneath the soil, supporting the leafy parts above ground. The soil food web that lives in and around the roots is essential for the plant's wellbeing.
Bacteria and Fungi
The majority of the soil inhabitants are microbes: bacteria and fungi. These are the workers of the soil. They live in the spaces in and around the roots and need humus, moisture, and air to survive. A teaspoon of earth may have 15,000 to 20,000 species of bacteria and thousands of species of fungi. It contains billions of microbes that digest and transform minerals and organic matter into the nutrients plants need. Bountea Compost Tea builds soil ecology by providing those beneficial microbes.
Protozoa and Nematodes
Microbes are also the food for larger inhabitants. Protozoa and nematodes digest and transform microbes into a nourishing menu for hungry plants. Some nematodes may attack plant roots, but these fall prey to predatory nematodes.
Bugs or Arthropods
Bugs come in all shapes and sizes; some are helpful and some harmful. Spiders, centipedes, ants, and some beetles are cops who patrol the streets putting the bad guys, like millipedes and root grubs, out of commission. Crime thrives on poverty; bad bugs and disease have a field day when soil is depleted. Notice how aphids always go for the weakest plants first.
Earthworms
Worms are the big guys of our soil ecology. They move mountains of soil; create burrows for air and water to penetrate to plant roots. Like mini composters, they digest organic matter and spread microbes throughout the soil.
Of most importance in the soil ecology is the GARDENER. Like the mayor of the city, he or she is responsible for making sure the whole city functions at its peak. Help your soil by building the best ecology possible with the Bountea Compost Tea System.
For more information, visit http://www.soilfoodweb.com
• View John Evans and his incredible Giant Vegetables in: The Secret is in the Soil
• Read what our customers say about the Bountea Compost Tea System
• Purchase "Teaming
with Microbes: A Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web " by
Jeff Lowenfels, from Amazon
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